This MarketingSherpa article answers that age-old question, "Do tchotchkes really work?" (Answer: No. Reporters are ethically prohibited from accepting them. But make sure you invite them to your suite and have plenty of steam table shrimp on hand... That's a different matter entirely.)

How to Get Reporters to Write About You at a Busy Trade Show

"Want to become famous with the press at the busiest trade shows of the year? Discover five practical steps on getting face time with the top industry reporters.

"Should you drop off a pile of news releases in the press room? Should you spend tens of thousands on a blow-out party so everyone’s writing about your company? What about scheduling CEO interviews?

"Here are six steps on how to improve your chances of getting quoted..." Read More...

 
Another great Dave Taylor article on how to use LinkedIn to maximum advantage...

Etiquette for LinkedIn and the Professional Networking World [excerpts]

"...If we've learned that it's important to be polite when using email, it's even truer in the social networking sphere. Here are ten tips for establishing yourself as a well-mannered online networker, when using LinkedIn:

1) Create a user-friendly profile.
2) Invite true friends - or at least, true acquaintances - to connect.
3) When you make a request, be clear about your intentions.
4) Reciprocity is a wonderful thing, and gratitude is key.
5) Pass along requests promptly, or say why you won't.
6) Avoid the boilerplate text, if you can.
7) Don't abuse your network.
8) Don't invent history to acquire colleagues.
9) Play by the rules.
10) Value relationships over transactions.

Read the full article. It's full of wisdom, empathy and common decency. Read More...